- President Muhammadu Buhari's government may be making serious moves to confiscate the Dubai properties of 22 Nigerians
- The action is reportedly as a result of a set of agreements Nigeria signed with the UAE under the current government
- Those affected allegedly include a former First Lady, top politicians and businessmen
With the signing of anti-corruption agreements with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Thursday, August 24, Nigeria has adopted a smart strategy to seize the assets of at least 22 politically exposed persons, The Nation is reporting.
President Muhammadu Buhari signed the agreements on behalf of the Nigerian government and the report said it now makes the coast clear for the country to take actions against such corrupt politicians and business people.
The report also mentioned some of those who may now be living in fear of losing assets in Dubai to include former petroleum minister Diezani Alison Madueke, whose properties and hard currencies had earlier being taken over by the government following court rulings.
Seven former governors, seven ex-ministers, four businessmen, a former chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), a former Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Customs Service, a former presidential assistant indicted in the $2.1 billion arms deals and a former First Lady, who allegedly used fronts to acquire some choice properties, are all said to be affected as the funds traced to them in Dubai are now to be frozen and repatriated.
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A further breakdown of the ex-governors shows one is from the south-south, two from north-central, two from the north-east, one from the north-west, and one from the south-west.
Those affected are currently under investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Before now, the most of the properties are said to have been traced for forfeiture by the Land Registry in the UAE.
NAIJ.com understands that two of the assets have been traced to Diezani Alison-Madueke, who was implicated by the United States Department of Justice as a beneficiary of $1.5billion laundered cash.
Part of the assets, according to the report, are about five luxury properties allegedly linked to a former official of the defunct Oceanic Bank.
“With the signing of the agreements, a major hurdle has been cleared and this will enable us to proceed with the application for the seizure of the assets of more than 22 highly-placed Nigerians who have been under probe for alleged money laundering.
“Before the pact, the UAE law mandates any foreign anti-graft agency to seek the consent of the owner of any property being verified before you can have access to same.
“But now, the anti-graft agencies in Nigeria can send a list of suspected assets to the UAE authorities through the Ministry of Justice and the ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Mutual Legal Assistance will be invoked.
“Our task is made easier because the Land Registry System is digitalised in a manner that it will not take five minutes to obtain information on anyone suspected of money laundering.
“The onus is on us to present sufficient facts on why some of these assets should be seized.
“We will show evidence of corrupt practices, the laundering of public funds and the purchase of the suspected assets with looted funds,” the report quoted a top government source as saying.
“With the indictment of a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke, by the US Department of Justice and her two alleged business associates, seizing their assets will be easier.
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“We are set to go with the seizure of eight apartments.
“But out of the eight identified, two apartments linked with Diezani are marked as J5 Emirates Hills (30million Dirham) and E146 Emirates Hills valued at 44million Dirham.
“We also have the case of a former-governor who failed in his bid to transfer about $517million loot to Dominican Republic from the UAE. We will want to seize the cash,” the source added.
NAIJ.com earlier reported that President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday, August 24, signed instruments of ratification for a number of bilateral agreements strengthening the government’s anti-corruption fight.
The ratification which is an important step, is in line with the delivery of President Buhari’s anti-corruption economic diversification vision.
The agreements signed by the president covered anti-corruption, tax administration and intellectual property protection.
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